collateral damage

A term originally from military contexts referring to unintended destruction, injuries, or deaths of civilians or non-combatants during an attack on a legitimate target. It is now also used more broadly to describe any unintended negative consequences or casualties resulting from an action or decision.

• 🇵🇹Termo de origem militar que designa a destruição, os ferimentos ou as mortes não intencionais de civis ou não combatentes durante um ataque a um alvo legítimo. Atualmente também é usado em sentido mais amplo para descrever quaisquer consequências negativas ou vítimas involuntárias resultantes de uma ação ou decisão.

1. Unintended harm C1 formal

   Injury or damage inflicted on people or property that are not the intended target, especially in a military context.

   • The airstrike caused significant collateral damage to nearby civilian homes.
   • Military commanders try to minimize collateral damage during operations.
   • The report detailed the collateral damage from the bombing campaign.

   🇵🇹Dano colateral

2. Unintended negative consequences C1 informal

   Unforeseen and often negative side effects of an action or decision.

   • The new policy had some collateral damage, including job losses in small businesses.
   • The company's restructuring caused collateral damage to employee morale.
   • The project's success came with collateral damage to the environment.

   🇵🇹Dano colateral